Posted by TexasTJ on June 23, 2001 at 20:14:58:
In Reply to: Charging for internet correspondance posted by Lea Myers on June 23, 2001 at 12:08:35:
First - welcome to the board!
I'd probably price it similar to a mass mailing.
Charge an initial rate to set up the list of clients to be on the email list - probably a price per email address.
You may need to charge an initial set-up fee to configure your email software to report the "From:" address as being that of your client's. (Be sure your software can handle this.)
Then I'd charge an hourly rate to type the main email message.
Also, if the client wants each email sent as a separate piece (as opposed to one email with lots of addressees listed), you may consider a charge per address each week for the time your system is tied up sending the emails. (Yes, I know this may seem petty, but, what if your system is tied up sending these emails and Client B calls wanting an email sent which you may not be able to do because you're waiting for Client A's emails to process.)
Depending on the volume of email you'll be sending, you may want to check with the Internet provider used (your's or your client's) to ensure you're not going to be violating their rules of acceptable usage.
Finally, if you haven't already, discuss with your client how to handle:
a) Emails returned w/invalid address?
b) How long you will store a copy of the sent email on your system
c) Does the client want a printed hard copy of the body of the email with an attached copy of the addressees each week? (If so, you need to consider this in your pricing.)
Good luck!